By Mindy Weisberger, Senior
Writer | February 23, 2017 07:24am ET
A new species of cave-dwelling
land snail from Brazil recently received a scientific name that recalls its
subterranean habitat in a uniquely geeky way. Scientists named the tiny mollusk
after the character Shar, the goddess of caverns, darkness and secrets, from
the popular role-playing tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons.
Researchers discovered a variety
of land snails and freshwater snails while conducting a survey of caves in
central Brazil, including a diminutive new species, which they dubbed
Gastrocopta sharae.
"It's a fitting name for a
tiny snail that lives hidden in the dark recesses of a cavern," the study
authors said in a
statement.
For the most part, snails that
live in Brazil are poorly understood and are not widely studied — compared to
the number of known mollusk
species, as many three times that number may remain to be discovered,
the researchers wrote in the study.
Cave systems are notable for
their biodiversity, but they are also exceptionally fragile, particularly in
central Brazil, where ecosystems are threatened by climate change and
human activity. To protect mollusk diversity in underground
grottos, conservationists first need to know what species are living
there, the study authors explained.
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